Iraqi vetting commission to end election work

[May 12, 2010]  BAGHDAD (AP) -- The head of the committee vetting Iraqi officials for ties to Saddam Hussein's regime says no more candidates from the election will disqualified.

Ali al-Lami of the Accountability and Justice Committee says its work will continue but will no longer involve candidates from the March 7 election.

The Shiite-dominated committee tried to disqualify hundreds of candidates before the election and several dozen afterward, including at least nine who won.

Most of those disqualified were believed to be Sunnis from the winning Iraqiya list.

Al-Lami said Wednesday that an appeals court would rule on the nine candidates in the coming days.

That decision could tilt the election outcome in favor of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's coalition.

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THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
AP's earlier story is below.

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BAGHDAD (AP) -- A Baghdad police official says three people were killed in northwest Baghdad when a booby-trapped body exploded near a grocery store.

The police official says the body was left near the shop in the neighborhood of Shula and it then exploded when people gathered around. At least 23 people were injured in Wednesday's early morning explosion.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Medics at the nearby Al-Noor hospital confirmed the toll.

Iraq on Monday was wracked by its worst day of violence so far this year with attacks killing 119 people.

[Associated Press]

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